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Hi, all, and happy Friday!

I know that, despite our Kimmel win, it’s been another rough week. Last night’s announcement of James Comey’s indictment alone was beyond discouraging. We’re up against real authoritarianism, and it’s scary.

So I’m going to ask something seemingly trivial that’s really not:

Do you have anything fun scheduled for the weekend?

Remember, recreation is just as important as resistance during a time of encroaching fascism. We must replenish ourselves often and thoroughly if we expect to stay fueled for this fight.

Me, I’m going to a craft fair fundraiser at my kid’s old school tomorrow. I look forward to this particular event all year—it’s a chance to buy gorgeous, handmade stuff while visiting with parents, kids, and teachers I don’t get to see much anymore. It’s community in the truest sense, and I find it deeply restorative.

I hope you’ve got something equally nice to look forward to. If you do, please drop it in the comments! We need to lift each other up!

Speaking of nice things, here’s a picture of our two new cats, Francis and Georgia—I know I’ve been promising one for a while. While losing Walter this summer was a terrible blow, we’re experiencing a new kind of joy with these little guys.

It’s a good reminder that most losses—even the most devastating ones—come with at least some new opportunities.

Even so are the losses we’re experiencing in our country right now creating the circumstances from which beautiful new things can—and will—be born.

It’s a difficult time indeed, friends, but we will see better times. Trump is overreaching, blundering, and alienating even those inclined to support him. His actions increasingly make him look desperate and afraid.

Things will stay ugly for a while, sadly, but the fact that Trump’s base is shrinking is important. Also significant? He’s forcing even the most apathetic Americans to admit that he is a wanna-be dictator. They’re not happy about it. Some of them will join us in our fight if we ask them to. So let’s do that!

One day at a time, in short, we’ll get through this. We will defeat this regime.

And believe it or not, craft fairs, snuggling pets, and other joyous things will help.

But, before we get to those, let’s wade back into the fray one more time.

P.S. — Just learned that Sinclair has restored Jimmy Kimmel to all of its stations! YOU GUYS! YOU DID THAT! Let’s go after NexStar next! 🙌🏼🙌🏼

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

I’m horrified by videos I saw yesterday of ICE officers violently slamming a woman’s head into the floor in New York and, in a separate incident in Maryland, brutally pinning a man to the ground for nine full minutes while waving guns at bystanders. These officers are completely out of control; their conduct is deplorable, dangerous, and beneath the standards of any US law enforcement agency. What is the Senator doing to rein them in? No American is safe while ICE is this out of control.

I’m also horrified by Trump’s weaponization of the Justice Department. Their indictment of James Comey, simply because he’s someone Trump loathes, is unacceptable and terrifying. Justice in the United States is not supposed to look like this, but it’ll get much worse if Congress doesn’t step up. Put guardrails on Trump now!

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.

I’m horrified by videos I saw yesterday of ICE officers violently slamming a woman’s head into the floor in New York and, in a separate incident in Maryland, brutally pinning a man to the ground for nine full minutes while waving guns at bystanders. These officers are completely out of control; their conduct is deplorable, dangerous, and beneath the standards of any US law enforcement agency. What is the Congressmember doing to rein them in? No American is safe while ICE is this out of control.

Extra Credit ✅

Now that Sinclair has relented it’s time to focus on NexStar. I wish I had a list of all of their advertisers but we do have their main number, so let’s call them.

Contact Nexstar Media: (972) 373-8800 and say…

I’m calling because Sinclair just announced that they are reinstating Jimmy Kimmel on all of their stations. I’m wondering when NexStar will do the same. Until you do I will be contacting all of the advertisers on my local affiliate station and telling them I’m boycotting them. I take attacks on my free speech really seriously. You should too. Thanks.

I just called and left a voicemail. Easy peasy! They also have an email address: communications@nexstar.tv but obviously calls are more impactful.

Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣

Dan Pfeiffer wrote a great piece on how we should talk about Trump’s targeting of James Comey. Please read it and use his suggestions. (If for some reason you hit a paywall I’m sorry! I think you can open it but I’m not sure how to check.)

The Message BoxBreaking: Trump’s Campaign to Prosecute his Enemies Goes into OverdriveMuch of the political and media world is rightly focused on Trump’s post-Kirk assassination government censorship campaign and Disney’s cowardly decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely…Read more6 days ago · 402 likes · 24 comments · Dan Pfeiffer

Get in the Streets! 🪧

Check the No Kings map to see if anyone has added a protest near you on October 18. As Trump wields government power to censor free speech and threaten political opponents, we need to make No Kings Day a historic day of resistance!

This. Protest. Needs. To. Be. Huge.

Win Races! 🗳

Postcards to Swing States still has 344,769 postcards left for their News Boosting Postcards in Virginia, which combat right-wing disinformation by sending news headlines directly to voters in Virginia.

Sign up now and they’ll mail you free postcards within 5-10 days, along with voter lists and instructions with what to write. You’re responsible for the Postcard Stamps, which cost $0.61. You will have until Oct 24 to complete the postcards.

Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥

Between now and the close of polls on November 4th, the Environmental Voter Project is hosting 38 phone banks to low propensity environmental voters. Nearly half of of these phone banks are planned for the final 5 days of the election — October 31-November 4. THEY NEED VOLUNTEERS! These calls are nonpartisan so you don’t have to talk about candidates, platforms, or anything political! (And yes, they still work!)

They have calling opportunities to fit every schedule, so check your calendar now and commit to shifts that fit into your week.

Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻

[To: all 3 reps] [H/T] [Text SIGN PBIYIH to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]

(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)

I’m writing to urge your support in reinstating the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) Household Food Security report. This longstanding report has been the nation’s most reliable tool for understanding how many American families struggle to keep food on the table and how well federal nutrition programs are working.

For more than three decades, the ERS report has provided policymakers with objective, nonpartisan data essential for sound decision-making. By measuring food insecurity consistently year after year, the report allows Congress and USDA to evaluate whether taxpayer-funded nutrition programs such as SNAP, WIC, and school meals are delivering results, identify where gaps exist and ensure resources are used efficiently, and track progress and measure the impact of policy changes over time.

Eliminating this report removes a critical accountability measure. Without it, policymakers will be left without clear evidence of whether nutrition programs are effective, where improvements are needed, or whether dollars are being spent wisely.

The most recent data revealed that one in seven households, 47.4 million Americans, including 13.8 million children, faced food insecurity. This reality has significant consequences for our economy, workforce readiness, and the strength of our communities. We also know that food insecurity responds to policy intervention: rates dropped to historic lows in 2021 when families received temporary support, but rose again after those supports expired and inflation increased. This kind of data demonstrates what works and what does not.

The ERS report is not about expanding programs; it is about ensuring accountability, transparency, and responsible governance. It ensures that Congress has the best available information available to make decisions affecting millions of families and to maintain public confidence in USDA’s stewardship of nutrition programs.

I respectfully urge you to support efforts calling on USDA to reinstate the ERS Household Food Security report. Ensuring access to accurate, consistent data is a matter of good government and fiscal responsibility, and it will help strengthen families, communities, and the nation as a whole. Thanks.

OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk soon.

Jess

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